Lecture Series 2019

Bringing you another 10 powerful and thought-provoking lectures for 2019!

Just some of the fabulous feedback received from last year's attendees:

"What food for thought. I felt very supported by your lecture. I love your growth mindset and feel empowered by what you shared. You are so easy to listen to and kept my attention, well done. ELP lectures really empower and support my teaching. Thank you".

"Bring back the life' WOW, I love listening to you sharing your views. You get very excited about where we are taking ECE".

"Another brilliant lecture, you spoke of such wonderful ways of engaging with our tamariki. Wow, outstanding team ELP, another meaninful, deep and informative lecture - can't wait for the next one, thank you"

COST:

Individual Lecture: $40 per teacher | $30 per full-time student

Season Pass (for one teacher to attend all 10 lectures): $275 per teacher | $200 per full-time student

The first 50 season passes purchased will go in the draw to win their pass free of charge!

Te Whāriki (2017, pg.20) reminds us that, “the wellbeing of each child is interdependent with the wellbeing of their kaiako, parents and whānau.” Bronfenbrenner believed that the quality of the interactions with children is very much reliant on the caregiver receiving support and recognition.

I’m ok, you’re ok is an opportunity to think about teachers’ wellbeing! How do we ensure that the teacher (caregiver) receives support and recognition in order for wonderful teaching practice to flourish? What does teacher wellbeing have to do with children’s wellbeing? And how can we ensure teachers are OK! Aroha mai, aroha atu.

Reading in the 21st century: Being bi-literate - what does this mean for children and kaiako? in MayPresented by Wendy Lee

The digital age has brought many interesting challenges into education for both children and adults. Researchers are now saying that the differences between text and screen reading should be studied more carefully and that the differences should be dealt with in education, particularly with younger children. There are advantages to both ways of reading and there is potential for a bi-literate brain to develop. This also has huge implications for adults and how they take on new information.

Neuroscientist Dr Maryanne Wolf is director of the center for dyslexia, diverse learners and social justice, at UCLA. Her research looks at how the brain takes on knowledge has this to say; “We can’t turn back, we should be simultaneously reading to children from books, giving them print, helping them learn this slower mode, and at the same time steadily increasing their immersion into the technological, digital age. It’s both. We have to ask the question: What do we want to preserve?” We also need to ask the question at what age is it an advantage to the child to begin engagement in digital media? Dr Wolf says reading too much on screens may threaten the young brain's ability to build its own foundation of knowledge and the desire to think and imagine for themselves. But what is too much? Come to this lecture and explore these ideas and what they might mean for the children you teach and also for you as a professional engaging in professional learning

Margaret and Wendy will share some of the work behind their new book on Learning Stories that will be published by Sage in 2019 entitled “Learning Stories in Practice”.

This book continues and extends the discussion about Learning Stories as assessment practice. Margaret and Wendy will share some of the ideas that are explored in this new book, including such ideas as being fair; recognising powerful narratives; sharing responsibility with learners and developing partnerships with family and community. Margaret and Wendy will be responding to teachers’ questions about narrative assessments, and will continue the conversation and dialogue about learning dispositions. The new book is written for teachers and includes examples of Learning Stories from both Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world.

Changing the lens: Cultrally responsive contextually located theory and practice in ECE in JulyPresented by Dr Lesley Rameka

Key to educational success for Māori children is the acknowledgement that Māori and children are culturally located and the recognition that effective education must embrace culture. Te Whāriki (2017, p 45) states that “Kaiako enhance the sense of identity, belonging and wellbeing of mokopuna by actively promoting te reo and tikanga Māori” (p.45). This presentation asks kaiako to review our assumptions and values, to better reflect our aspiratins in practice. I will utilize findings from Te Whatu Pōkeka (2009) and Te Whatu Kete Mātauranga (2017) to explore how traditional Māori cultural knowledges, theories and values can be reclaimed to support the development of culturally responsive, contextually located, theory and practice in contemporary early childhood settings.

Literacy and narrative in the early years: Zooming in and zooming out in AugustPresented by teachers from Roskill South Kindergarten

For many years we have valued children’s portfolios as a powerful literacy artefact, and have noticed how Learning Stories have provided a meaningful tool for revisiting, informing learning, and increasing children’s oral competency. This sparked our curiosity and we have been exploring how we can foster and strengthen children’s oral literacy experiences through the realm of storytelling. Recently we have been involved in a TRLI project, working alongside Margaret Carr and Amanda Bateman, exploring what a patchwork of storytelling looks like in our kindergarten. This lecture will share how a richly resourced environment, along with responsive pedagogical practices strengthens children’s storytelling expertise.

The Power of Embodiment in SeptemberPresented by Julie Killick and teachers from Chelsea Kindergarten

The concept of mindfulness has become more generally recognised and increasingly valued within many sectors including education. We are interested in mindfulness, but also what it means to be bodyful! What does it mean to be an embodied teacher and learner? In this presentation we will share our own stories of becoming more embodied through dance, yoga and movement practices. We will explore the benefits that mind and body integration bring when nurturing relationship, creativity, communication, and expression are privileged.

Tracking 21stCentury Learners Over Time in OctoberPresented by Carol Marks and Michelle Flower

Do you aspire to nurture independent lifelong learners, prepared for the challenges of 21st Century? How often do you stop to envision the world you would like to see when the children you are currently working with are your age? What opportunities will there be? What threats will we face?

In this workshop we will track learners from early childhood through their education journey and beyond. What are the knowledge, skills and dispositions that make them the learners that they are today? We will revisit these learners portfolios and reflect on the pedagogy that nurtured these attributes.

“The most important attitude that can be formed is that of desire to go on learning” (John Dewey)

Slowing Down and (Re) Connecting in NovemberPresented by Kathryn Delany and Marianne MacPherson

Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa.

Let us keep close together, not far apart.

(Te Whāriki p. 59)

In this era of ‘connectivity’ we have been reflecting on the importance of connection. The Te Whāriki (2017) Mana Whenua/Belonging strand clearly emphasises the importance of connection “Children know(ing) they belong and have a sense of connection to others and the environment”. Māori view the “child’s connection through time to whenua, atua, Māori and tipuna”. Parker J. Palmer (1997) reminds us if we want our children to be able to weave their own web of connections between the world, the people around them and themselves then we need to spend time modeling this with them. Using the Whāriki and weaving as a metaphor for connection we will be exploring ways in which we can re-connect.

Previous lectures for 2019:

Not your standard flower…Let’s be extraordinary! in February
Presented by Lorraine Sands

Do you want to work smarter, not harder? Come along to this lecture and find out how you might more effectively and efficiently carry out your internal evaluation, teacher appraisal and teachers certification. Learn how, with good processes in place, Lorraine’s ECE setting has been given two ‘4’ ratings by ERO….at the same time building a strong and positive culture for all!

The thriving and self-driven learner and teacher in March
Presented by Tania Bullick

Last year, at Tania’s lecture, we took a look at the theorists and theories that inform our practices today from Montessori, Froebel and Piaget to theories of behaviourism, attachment and development. This year Tania’s lecture will be looking at contemporary theories that inform our thinking and practices for the 21st century learner. Drawing on the writings of William Stixrud and Ned Johnson in their books ’The Thriving Child’ and ’The Self-driven Child’, this lecture will explore not only the child as learner but also the teacher as learner and how the wellbeing, belonging, competence and empowerment of each of us is key to quality early childhood education.

Kotahi tonu te Wairua o nga mea katoaThere is one Spirit that flows through all

Latest Updates

Assessment, a mana enhancing process

A blog post from Carol Marks.......As we weave our own curriculum and keep abreast of current theory, the alignment between Te Whariki, Te Whatu Pokeka, Reggio Emilia and kaupapa Maori becomes evident when strengthening assessment for tamariki.....

What a fantastic day at this year's Conference! We had a record number of attendees this year, it was wonderful to have so many passionate teachers sharing their knowledge and experience and to see the deep participation and thoughtfulness from all attendees. We have already come up with some ideas to make next year even better...watch this space!

Let's slow down: Shifting from directing and correcting to a culture of connecting

What busy lives we lead. Always rushing from here to there, structuring our days, and time, to fit as much in as possible. Where does all of this over-scheduling leave us in terms of connecting? Connecting with the children we work with? And why is connecting so important anyway?
Click here to read more from this inspiring article by Harriet O'Sullivan

What an absolute pleasure it was to have Neuroscience Educator; Nathan Wallis, join us in Hamilton to present a seminar: The impact of Neuroscience on our practice. This was a Ministry of Education sponsored seminar, organised by ELP.